London. On the first day of the first Test of Ashes 2023 (Ashes 2023, 1st Test:), the England cricket team has declared its first innings against Australia cricket team at a score of 393/8.
Joe Root has played a brilliant century innings (118 *) for the hosts. Apart from him, Johnny Bairstow has contributed 78 runs. By the end of the first day, Australia have scored 14 runs without losing a wicket.
Batting first after winning the toss, the England cricket team got off to a bad start. Ben Duckett got out on a team score of 22 runs. The left-handed opener scored 12 runs. The next batsman Ollie Pope returned to the pavilion after scoring 31 runs on a total score of 92 runs. Meanwhile, opener Jack Crawley (61) scored a brilliant half-century. He was dismissed for 124 and lunch was declared.
Brook, who came to bat in the second session, batted in his familiar style and made attractive shots as soon as he came. He could not convert a good start into a big innings and was dismissed after scoring 32 runs in 37 balls. Nathan Lyon showed him the way to the pavilion. The next batsman, English captain Ben Stokes was dismissed after scoring just 1 run. In such a situation, England lost their 5 wickets till the score of 176 runs.
Root kept one end in between wickets falling continuously. He got good support from Johnny Bairstow from the other end. The pair rescued the team from trouble by sharing a 121-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Meanwhile, Bairstow played an inning of 78 runs in 78 balls. After the fall of Bairstow’s wicket, Root hit a century and England declared their innings at 393/8. Lyon took 4 wickets from Australia.
Root has scored his 30th century in his 239th Test innings. With this, he has equaled former Australian legend Matthew Hayden and former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul in terms of centuries. Currently, he is the second-highest number of centuries among active players after Australia’s Steve Smith.
A few minutes before the end of the first day’s play, England took the bold decision of declaring the innings. After this, the English fast bowlers asked some tough questions in front of David Warner and Usman Khawaja, to which the Australian batsmen responded with restraint. Australia did not lose any wickets until the end of stumps. At present, Warner (8 *) and Khawaja (4 *) remain at the crease. Australia got a chance to bat only 4 overs.
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